Jan. 04, 2013

Cold-Water Fish Break the Ice with Antifreeze

SNACK

The Fishy Story of Antifreeze and Ice Cream

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Cold-water fish, snow-dwelling bugs, and some grasses have evolved natural antifreeze proteins to avoid turning to ice cubes. Peter Davies, a biologist at Queen's University in Ontario, discusses how these antifreeze substances work, and their applications for human problems -- like keeping the ice out of ice cream.

In the SciFri Snack, biologist Peter Davies tells us that some companies add proteins that act like antifreeze to ice cream. Don’t worry--it’s safe to eat. But there is something fishy about this additive...